See Who's Connected... Six Degrees Of Jack Abramoff...

See Who's Connected... Six Degrees Of Jack Abramoff...

As House majority leader, DeLay was considered the most powerful figure in that chamber of Congress. He was elected to Congress in 1984 and built loyalties through aggressive fundraising, strong-arm tactics and concierge services for House Republicans (e.g., catered food during late-night votes). With activist Grover Norquist, DeLay spearheaded the K Street Project, which pressured interest groups to hire Republican lobbyists and direct campaign money to Republican coffers. DeLay was forced by House rules to step aside temporarily as majority leader in September 2005, after he was indicted on state money-laundering charges arising from the 2002 Texas state legislative races. He gave up his claim to the leadership post in January 2006.

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